The invention relates to a method and apparatus for quenching a heated bulk material, more especially coke, by means of a liquid which flows from the top downwardly through the bulk material. The quenching chamber closes off the bulk material against the outside air or atmosphere and the steam which forms from the quenching liquid is carried off downwardly in parallel flow with the quenching liquid. The quenching liquid and the steam forming therefrom flow from the top downwardly through the bulk material until the steam attains a specific temperature. For this purpose the amount of quenching liquid distributed over the bulk material is so measured that it participates fully in the quenching process and is hence completely evaporated except for a specific residual moisture in the coke.
Such a method and a corresponding device are known from German Patent No. 2,320,057, wherein the height of the bulk material is kept constant over a substantially horizontal base area or bottom and the base box is movable hydraulically for emptying the container.
The known method and the corresponding device have been used successfully in practice. However, it has to be noted that the quenching result is disadvantageously affected if irregularities in the height of the bulk material are not compensated at all or are not compensated with an adequate thoroughness. The quenching liquid distributed uniformly over the bulk material and the steam forming therefrom flow preferably through those regions of the bulk material where the height or depth of the bulk material is the least. The bulk material is thus quenched more rapidly in those regions where the flow resistance is least, than in other regions having a higher flow resistance where the quenching proceeds more slowly. Depending on the duration of supplying quenching liquid, differences in the height or depth of the bulk material lead to the result that either specific regions of the bulk material are not quenched or are not quenched adequately or other regions have, after the completion of the quenching process, too high a water content. While an inadequate quenching of bulk material, for example in the case of coke, cannot be accepted already for reasons of safety, use of too large an amount of quenching liquid leads to a surplus of liquid which has to be carried away. Excess quenching liquid requires a collecting water reservoir including a purification system as well as a pumping and pipeline means.